Cheat Sheets

You may want to see the components that make up your PC console, the PC’s guts. For a peek inside a PC (without having to dissect your own), look no further. A PC’s insides are shown in this figure, which[more…]

You can tell your PC’s power button exactly how you want it to act when you press it by specifying the button’s function. The power button’s possible functions vary. To change your PC power button's function[more…]

Depending on what kind of modem you have, you connect it to your PC differently. An internal dialup modem needs only a connection to your phone line. If you have an external modem, you have to connect[more…]

The console’s backside is its busy side. On the back of a computer console, you find various connectors for the many other devices in your computer system: the console’s back also has a place to plug in[more…]

Connecting your keyboard and mouse to your PC is a breeze. Before you connect your keyboard and mouse to your computer, you need to decide where to place both the keyboard and mouse in relation to the[more…]

All modern PCs, laptops included, have a special Startup or Setup program. This program is not a part of your computer's operating system (Windows). Instead, it's built in to the computer's circuitry,[more…]

Windows Vista placed all your laptop’s power button and lid-closing functions in one handy spot. To get there, Choose Control Panel from the Start menu, and then click Power Options to display the Power[more…]

Computer audio involves both output and input connections. No matter how sophisticated your PC's sound system, audio connections — both input and output — are made by plugging things into the appropriate[more…]

Before you connect your monitor to your PC, you need to decide where you want to position the monitor. Set the monitor atop your desk, generally back away from where you sit, to accommodate room for the[more…]

Believe it or not, the laptop must be in an open position for you to use it. Here's the catch: The lid has a catch, or possibly two! The catch is either a button that you push in or a little slider that[more…]

You can control the way Windows looks as well as how your laptop's monitor is configured. To do this, you need to visit the Personalization icon in the Windows Vista Control Panel or the Display icon in[more…]

When you first turn on a brand-new laptop, Windows goes through some gyrations and prompts you to set up Windows on your computer. You're asked certain questions, such as which time zone you live in and[more…]

When you’re setting up your laptop computer, the holiest piece of hardware is the battery. Either it came preinstalled (and may be nonremovable) inside the laptop or it must be installed separately.[more…]

Windows lets you slap a password on your account and then requires you to type that password before you can use Windows. Though this is optional, and seems kind of silly when you're the only one around[more…]

You might never need to run or access your PC’s Setup program, but it’s good to know how to get there, regardless. You use the Setup program, for example, when adding more memory to the computer, updating[more…]

USB devices plug into the USB port — any USB port. The USB cable may be attached directly to the gizmo, or you may have to use (or buy) a separate USB cable. Fortunately, the USB cable has unique ends[more…]

Laptop computers can go anywhere or be put anywhere. With a fully charged battery, your laptop has a home wherever you go! Beyond that, you can place your laptop anywhere you like: on the kitchen table[more…]

An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, is the best thing to have for hooking up your computer system to the wall socket. Basically, an uninterruptible power supply is a power strip combined with a battery[more…]